Background
By the late 1960s Alfa Romeo had firmly established itself as a maker of cars that blended everyday usability with race-bred engineering and unmistakable Italian flair. The company’s 105-series models – encompassing saloons, spiders and coupés – became a backbone of the range, and they encapsulated the Alfa ethos of delivering performance and sophistication in an accessible package. Central to this line-up was the Giulia GT coupé, styled by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro during his time at Bertone. His crisp, balanced design was compact yet elegant, instantly recognisable and destined to become a classic.
When the 1750 GT Veloce arrived in 1967, it represented an evolution of the earlier Giulia Sprint GT and GTV models. Alfa had identified the need for more power and flexibility to meet both customer demand and tightening competition, and the new 1750cc version of its twin-cam engine provided just that. With 118bhp in European specification, the 1750 delivered stronger mid-range torque without losing the rev-happy enthusiasm for which Alfas were famed. Contemporary testers praised its ability to cover long distances swiftly, combining refinement and speed in a way that made it ideal for the new age of high-speed motorways.
Alfa Romeo’s competition pedigree was never far from view. The same Giulia-based platform underpinned the Giulia GTA, a lightweight racing variant that achieved extraordinary success in touring car championships. Owners of the 1750 GTV could justly feel that their road car carried the DNA of a proven race winner. The five-speed gearbox, all-round disc brakes and carefully honed suspension all contributed to a driving experience that was ahead of its time, and still impresses today.
The 1750 GTV also introduced subtle but important refinements to the Bertone coupé shape. The Series 1 cars retained the clean twin-dial dashboard layout and distinctive ‘flying buttress’ bucket seats of the earlier 1600 models, but gained unique rear light clusters and a slightly more mature overall presentation. These details make the S1 1750 especially sought after today, as later cars adopted busier dashboards and heavier bumpers to satisfy evolving regulations, particularly in the vital US market. In right-hand drive form the model was built in limited numbers, which adds to its appeal among collectors.
In period the Alfa’s rivals included the BMW 2002, Fiat 124 Coupé and Ford Escort Twin Cam. All were fine cars, but none offered quite the same combination of style, performance and sophistication. Giugiaro’s design gave the Alfa a timeless elegance, while the twin-cam engine and gearbox made it a delight to drive on twisting roads. Enthusiasts have long regarded the 1750 as the sweet spot of the 105-series range – more flexible and refined than the 1600, but rarer and more characterful than the later 2000.
More than half a century after its launch, the 1750 GTV remains one of the most charismatic sporting coupés of its era. It is as usable as it is beautiful, supported by a strong network of clubs and specialists, and blessed with an enthusiast following that ensures its legacy will endure. To own one is to enjoy a car that offers both the visual drama of Italian design and the mechanical sophistication of a true driver’s machine.
